Seonbi

Korean non-governmental scholars

Seonbi

18th-century painting of a seonbi composing a poem

Korean name
Hangul|

Revised Romanization| Seonbi
McCune–Reischauer| Sŏnbi

Seonbi (Korean: 선비; MR: Sŏnbi) were scholars during the Goryeo and Joseon periods of Korean history. They were generally seen as non-governmental servants of the public,[1] who chose to pass on the benefits and authority of official power in order to develop and share knowledge.[2] However, some former bureaucrats were seen as seonbi, as they moved to the countryside after retirement and adopted the seonbi lifestyle.[3]

Seonbi in the traditional sense do not exist today, although the term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe people. When applied to a person, the meaning can be complimentary, highlighting a person's intelligence, morality, and composure.[4] However, young South Koreans whom tend to have low opinions of the Joseon Dynasty or Confucianism, tend to use the word ssib seonbi in a derogatory way, or just call them seonbi (this is more frequent today). It is used similarly to the English term "geezer", or to highlight a perceived anachronistic value system.[5]

## Philosophy

[edit]

The seonbi followed a strict code of conduct and believed they had the moral duty to lead society in the right direction.[6] Seonbi were to live life in modesty and perpetual learning in order to attain perfection of character, not only through knowledge but also by adhering to the rightful path. The goal of the seonbi was to achieve social justice.[3]

Seonbi were expected to possess the Confucian virtues of filial piety and loyalty to the king, disdain power, wealth and private interest, and be ready to lay down their life in order to remain faithful to their principles and maintain their integrity. They venerated scholars such as Chŏng Mong-ju (who died for his fidelity to Goryeo), the six martyred ministers (who refused to accept Sejo's usurpation of the throne), and Jo Gwang-jo (a reformer who died trying to transform Joseon into an ideal Confucian society) as embodiments of the seonbi spirit and as examples to follow, despite him being a controversial figure today.

Education was of great importance and referred to as "enlightenment",[3] and seonbi gathered and studied at seowon institutions.[7] Seonbi masculinity denotes mental attainment rather than physical performance, and is still valued by many South Koreans and considered by some scholars to be the ideal model of Korean masculinity.[8]

Due to their connotation with the yangban class, the commoners had mixed perceptions of seonbi. Some were regarded as advocates of the laymen, while some were treated equally as the corrupt yangban. Some seonbi submitted blunt petitions to the king despite the dangerous consequences and suffered purges as a result.[7] Some depictions were idealized and romanticized men of honor in contrast to the ruling yangban class, even though seonbi came from the same class. The seonbi were common figures in traditional Korean depictions of the Joseon period. For instance, a seonbi appears as one of the characters in the traditional mask dance preserved at the Hahoe Folk Village, where he competes with a yangban character, often depicted as corrupt and greedy.In some satirical novels, the Seonbi get the 'set menu' treatment as the very yangban caste that they originate from.[9]

## Archer and commander

[edit]

### Archery

[edit]

Since archery was a liberal arts subject for seonbis in the Joseon Dynasty, there were many scholars who learned archery. Therefore,a seonbi, that is, a scholar, is a person with a specialized education to become a bureaucrat. In addition, almost all of the numerous righteous armies that actually took place in Joseon were led by seonbis. Even in ordinary villages, seonbis, who were closely associated with yangban, were in the same position as local leaders, therefore, seonbis were able to properly unite ordinary people. Which means most of senbis who were trained in combat and command. Representatively, there are seonbis such as Kwak Chaeu, Ko Kyŏngmyŏng, and Cho Hŏn, who led righteous army in battlefields.[10][11]

### Partisanships

[edit]

Partisan activities (의병, which translate to voluntary armies) were mainly organized and led by seonbis / yangban caste who had funding to muster militants. As a dictionary definition, a 의병, or voluntary army means a paramilitary organization that were mustered by volunteers to prohibit mobs or deter foreign invasions.[12]

Main article: Political factions in Joseon dynasty

During the Joseon Dynasty, the Sarim faction was a political faction in Joseon dynasty that actively sought to realize the political ideology of Neo-Confucianism. Sarim was the ruling class in charge of political and social functions in close contact with the king's sovereignty. They were responsible for the political ideas of Neo-Confucianism not only at the ideological level but also at the practical level in the political system of the Joseon Dynasty.

Sarim's political ideology was found in emphasizing royal politics based on Neo-Confucian Deokhwa-gyo-min (덕화교민, to enlighten the people) and realistically implementing it, while removing and eradicating the principle of wisdom and prestige at the ethical level.

Sarim's political ideology was practicality that it was courageous to seek justice and not to do it. Sarim's political ideology was expressed as a spirit of resistance to the challenges of death, consolation, injustice, and injustice from home and abroad.

It appeared as a spirit of purity to reveal the degree of dispute over internal political contradictions and to defend the national pride and security against external challenges. The fact that the Joseon Dynasty, which adopted Neo-Confucianism as a political ideology, responded to the national crisis in the face of the invasion of the immigrants and showed an active resistance attitude was connected to this ideological foundation.

In the 16th century, the Sarim faction participated in politics, emphasizing Taoism, a practical study of Neo-Confucianism. From the perspective of Sarim, the practice of righteousness was identified as the practice of righteousness.

Through the temporary decline of the Sarim faction, Neo-Confucianism was systematized, and as academic diversity emerged, practical academic style was emphasized. The representative figure was Jo Sik. He emphasized practicality in Neo-Confucianism, and his practice was expressed as loyalty. For him, righteousness appeared as an emphasis on extroverted practice. As for the cry, he insisted on active subjugation from the perspective of the theory of painting, and emphasized the guideline of loyalty, "Chunchu."[13]

## Modern depictions

[edit]

Modern depictions of seonbi in popular media are ubiquitous, with some examples being:

* Lee Joon-gi in the Korean drama The Scholar Who Walks the Night
* Kim Soo-hyun in the Korean drama My Love from the Star
* Bae Yong-joon in the Korean film Untold Scandal
* A seonbi mascot added as part of the Korean update in Crossy Road
* Cho Jae-hyun in the Korean drama Jeong Do-jeon

## Famous seonbi

[edit]

* Ch'oe Ch'i-wŏn
* Choi Ik-hyun
* Chŏng Mong-ju
* Hŏ Kyun
* Jo Sik
* Jeong Cheol
* Chŏng Tojŏn
* Chŏng Yagyong
* Jo Gwang-jo
* Kim Jeong-hui
* Kim Su-hang
* Pak Chiwŏn

* Seo Gyeong-deok
* Seong Hon
* Song Ik-pil
* Song Chun-gil
* Song Si-yŏl
* Yi Gi
* Yi Hang-ro
* Yi Hwang
* Yi I
* Yi Su-gwang
* Yun Seon-do

|
|

## See also

[edit]

* Korean culture
* Korean Confucianism
* Silhak
* Neo-Confucianism
* Yangban

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Leaman, Oliver (Oct 19, 2006). Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy. Routledge. p. 143\. ISBN 9781134691142. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
2. ^ "Yeongju where the spirit of the seonbi lives on". Korea.net. Korean Culture and Information Service. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
3. ^ a b c Choi, Wan Gee (2006). The Traditional Education of Korea. Ewha Womans University Press. pp. 29–30\. ISBN 9788973006755. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
4. ^ "선비 – 다음 어학사전". Daum 사전 (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-03-30.
5. ^ 연구자, 이라영 예술사회학 (2017-12-10). "진지함은 벌레(蟲)가 되고, 의문은 반지성에 묻히다". Pressian (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-04-12.
6. ^ Choi, Wan Gee (2006). The Traditional Education of Korea. Ewha Womans University Press. p. 65\. ISBN 9788973006755. Retrieved 5 February 2017. "The seonbi, or literati class, of Joseon followed a strict code of behavior in the belief that they had the moral duty to lead society in the right direction."
7. ^ a b "Seowon – Korean Confucius Academy". Antique Alive. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
8. ^ Jung, Sun (Nov 1, 2010). Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols. Hong Kong University Press. p. 27\. ISBN 9789888028665. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
9. ^ "하회별신굿탈놀이". 안동하회마을 (in Korean). Retrieved 5 February 2017.
10. ^ "righteous army 의병- encyclopedia of korean culture한국민족대백과사전".
11. ^ "문화재청-흐트러진 마음을 가담고 각궁으로 활을 쏘다".
12. ^ "righteous army 의병- encyclopedia of Korean culture한국민족대백과사전".
13. ^ "righteous army 의병- encyclopedia of Korean culture한국민족대백과사전".

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seonbi.

Authority control databases: National |

* Korea

|